Deuteronômio 4
Thomas Constable · Citado em PreceptAustin
Deuteronômio 4
Constable - "Statutes" (v. 1) were the permanent basic rules of conduct whereas "judgments" (ordinances, v. 1) were decisions God revealed in answer to specific needs. The judgments set precedent for future action (e.g., the case of Zelophehad's daughters). (Deuteronomy 4) As noted listen (shama) is a command in Dt 4:1 and in the Septuagint is a command in the present imperative, calling for continuing attention (see our need to depend on the Holy Spirit to obey this command). Keep on listening to the statutes and the judgments all the days of your life. Play and ponder the words of Run Like Heaven! THOUGHT - Beloved, this is a good word for all believers of all ages! The implication is that it is necessary to keep listening because our hearts are so prone to forget and therefore prone to wander (Play Come Thou Fount) Prone to wander, Lord I feel it Prone to leave the God I love Here's my heart, oh take and seal it Seal it for Thy courts above (You need to watch this short Life story of writer Robert Robinson) Grant - It was necessary now for the generation then present to hear these terms as their fathers had done. The principle is one that pertains even up to this present day. Every generation must learn the truth of God for themselves. It is not sufficient to "know" truth merely as something believed and practised by a past generation. The continuing importance of this is recognised in that every seventh year at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles the terms of the covenant were to be read by the priests to "men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates" (see Dt 31:9-13 below). (What the Bible Teaches) Deuteronomy 31:9-13+ So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carried the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 Then Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the LORD your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing. 12 “Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the LORD your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. 13 “Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the LORD your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.” THOUGHT - Believing parents - you MUST pass on the truths of God's Word to your children. Now (cf Dt 4:44) - This marks a new direction in Moses' discourse of instruction, exhortation and warning, which as discussed below is one that is based on the truths in the previous review of Israel's 40 year wilderness journey from Deuteronomy 1:6 to Deuteronomy 3:29 ("in the valley opposite Beth-peor"). In this discourse we see God's faithfulness and omnipotence to bring His possession (Dt 4:20, Ex 19:5) to the precipice of entering the Promised Land. John Thompson notes that "The introductory word And now (wě‘attâ - 06258) refers back to the previous recitation. It is preparatory to the appeal to obey, as though one might say ‘And now, in the light of God’s acts of deliverance, you should obey his commandments’ (cf. Ex. 19:5; Dt. 10:12; Josh. 24:14, etc.). (Tyndale Bible Commentary - OT) Eugene Merrill adds that "The connection between Dt 4:1–40 and what precedes it is clear from the introductory formula wĕ‘attâ - 06258 (lit., “and now”), a use of the logical particle or adverb that builds the argument of the present passage on what has gone before. That is, the exhortation is not delivered in a vacuum but finds its orientation in the historical review. What has already transpired is gone forever, but the lessons of history must not be forgotten and, in fact, must serve as the springboard for future thought and action. (Ibid) God's past faithfulness should encourage present obedience. David Larson - The purpose of those (Ed: Like Moses) who share the “oracles of God” is not primarily to help people with their problems; it is to speak for God Who is ultimately the only Help (cp Ps 121:1-8+). Listen (shama - here in Dt 4:1 a command not a suggestion) is a key word in Deuteronomy and is used 31x in 31v the first time in Dt 1:43 ("you would not listen") and the second in Dt 1:45 where God "would not listen" to Israel's pleas because of disobedience. Does the Lord listen to your prayers? Or are you in disobedience (Ps 66:18)? Confess (1 Jn 1:9-note) and He will give ear to your prayers. The best known use of "listen" is in the so-called "Shema" (after the first word in the verse below "shema" - hear) which is the very heart of Jewish confession and faith. When Jesus was asked what was the greatest commandment of all, he quoted this text (Mt 22:37–38). Hear (a command!), O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one! You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (Dt 6:4–5+) Listen = 25x in Deuteronomy - Deut. 1:43; Deut. 1:45; Deut. 3:26; Deut. 4:1; Deut. 4:30; Deut. 6:3; Deut. 7:12; Deut. 8:20; Deut. 11:13; Deut. 11:27; Deut. 11:28; Deut. 12:28; Deut. 13:3; Deut. 13:4; Deut. 13:8; Deut. 13:18; Deut. 15:5; Deut. 18:14; Deut. 18:15; Deut. 18:19; Deut. 21:18; Deut. 23:5; Deut. 26:17; Deut. 27:9; Deut. 28:13; Deuteronomy has 10 warnings Israel needed to hear (and heed) - Dt 4:1, 2, 6, 9, 13, 14, 15, 19, 23, 26 Listen (hear)...perform (do) - Hearing and doing (obeying) is the desired dynamic in both the Old and New Testaments. James writes But prove (present imperative) yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude (paralogizomai = literally reason beside = false reasoning) themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:22-25+) The Word of God must penetrate our hearts and become a part of our inner being if it is to change our lives. -- Warren Wiersbe Wiersbe Warren - The eminent Jewish scholar Abraham Joshua Heschel wrote, “To believe, we need God, a soul, and the Word.” Another Jewish scholar, the Apostle Paul, reached the same conclusion and wrote, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17, NKJV). The God who brought Creation into existence by speaking the Word (Ps. 33:6–9) has ordained that His people should live by hearing and obeying His Word....To the Old Testament Jew and the New Testament Christian, hearing the Word of God involves much more than sound waves impacting the human ear. Hearing God’s Word is a matter of focusing our whole being—mind, heart, and will—on the Lord, receiving what He says to us and obeying it. The Word of God must penetrate our hearts and become a part of our inner being if it is to change our lives. That’s what Jesus meant when He said, “Who has ears to hear, let him hear!” That statement is found at least eight times in the Gospels, so it must be important. (See also Dt. 29:4 and Ezek. 12:2.) Hearing and obeying the Word of God was Israel’s very life (Dt. 4:1a). When God speaks, He sets before us life and death (Dt 30:15–20), and our response determines which it will be. “Keep my decrees and laws, for the man who obeys them will live by them. I am the Lord” (Lev. 18:5NIV). The emphasis in Deuteronomy 4:1–2 and Dt 4:5 is on commanding and teaching, for the Lord not only tells us what to do but He also explains the truth behind His commands. (Be Equipped) The pathway of life and the true secret of possession is simple obedience to the holy commandments of God. -- C H McIntosh C H McIntosh - “Hearken” and “do,” that ye may “live” and “possess.” This is a universal and abiding principle. It was true for Israel, and it is true for us. The pathway of life and the true secret of possession is simple obedience to the holy commandments of God. We see this all through the inspired volume, from cover to cover. God has given us His Word, not to speculate upon it or discuss it, but that we may obey it. And it is as we, through grace (Ed: enabled by the Spirit - Php 2:13NLT+), yield a hearty and happy obedience to our Father’s statutes and judgments, that we tread the bright pathway of life, and enter into the reality of all that God has treasured up for us in Christ. “He who has My commandments (cp Lk 4:4+) and keeps (present tense = speaks of the "general direction" of our life, not perfection. Emphasizes our CONTINUAL need to rely on the Spirit's enabling power!) them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose (emphanizo = let oneself be intimately known and understood) Myself to him.” (Jn 14:21) (Moody's "Thoughts for the Quiet Hour") Now, O Israel, listen - Listen means to hearken, to hear with reverence and obedient assent, to give undivided listening attention and is often translated "obey". Do not hear and ignore, but hear and do! Moses called the people to hear and obey the rules of conduct that God had given them to observe. Successful conquest ("that you may live and go in and take possession") and full enjoyment of life in the Land was based on submission to God’s law. This was true in the life of Israel and is true in the life of every follower of Christ. Listen and obey not out of legalism, but because you love the LORD and desire to walk in a manner that is pleasing to Him. In some of his last words (last words are always worth listening to carefully!) to the children of Israel before he fell asleep in the Lord Moses warned... Take (in context conveys sense of a command. Lxx = prosecho = turn and hold your mind on God's Word - continually = present imperative) to your heart all the words with which I am warning you today, which you shall command your sons to observe carefully, even all the WORDS OF THIS LAW. For IT (God's Word) is not an idle WORD for you; indeed IT (God's Word) is your LIFE. And by this WORD you will prolong your days in the land, which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.” (Dt 32:46-47+) Comment - There used to be a very popular television show called "This Is Your Life!" This title could aptly be written across the front cover page of our Bible "THIS IS YOUR LIFE!" Notice what Moses says about the importance of God's Word of LIFE (1 Jn 1:1+) - It is not idle, empty, vain, futile but equates with "LIFE" and enables us to possess our promised possessions (cp Josh 1:2-4 - note "I am giving...Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given!" = God has already promised the possession but they [and we] are responsible to possess it!). For Israel the promise was primarily a LAND, but for believer today it is a LIFE (cp 2 Peter 1:3-4+; Eph 1:3+) Related Resource: Are You Listening to the Master's Voice? The statutes and the judgments - Statutes are generally permanent rules for conduct fixed by the reigning authority, while judgments dealt more with judicial decisions which served as precedents for future guidance. Together these two terms refer to the entire body of the Law which Moses had taught the people and are frequent in this book (Dt 4:5, 8, 14, 45; 5:1, 31; 6:1, 20; 7:11; 11:1; 12:1) Many writers point out that this type of language (statutes and judgments) is characteristic of covenant literature, and reveals the stipulations of the covenant. Utley on statutes and judgments - These include the collective revelations of God. It is all that God has revealed about Himself and His covenant requirements. It is similar in meaning to the word Torah (lit. “teachings,” i.e., Mosaic legislation). NET Note - These technical Hebrew terms khuqqim (statutes) and mishpatim (judgments) occur repeatedly throughout the Book of Deuteronomy to describe the covenant stipulations to which Israel had been called to subscribe (see, in this chapter alone, Dt 4:1, 5, 6, 8). The word khuqqim derives from the verb khoq ("to inscribe; to carve") and mishpatim from shaphat, ("to judge"). They are virtually synonymous and are used interchangeably in Deuteronomy. (Ed: But see above note) Beloved believer, keep in mind as you study the poignant lessons in the life of Israel (the good, the bad and the ugly!), the behavior (and consequences of misbehavior) was meant to be examples and warnings. Centuries later Paul wrote Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.(1 Cor 10:6, 11, cp Ro 15:4-note) The principle that obedience brings blessing is clearly taught in both testaments! Whereas Israel would be blessed with a LAND (and prosperity therein), believers in the NT will be blessed with a LIFE (full, abundant, victorious, etc). If we as NT believers are not experiencing the good hand of the LORD bestowing spiritual blessings on our life (cf Ezra 7:9-10+), then we probably need to look for the solution by looking at our obedience. And when I say "obedience" I am not speaking of a legalistic external keeping of a list of do's and don't's! I am speaking of internal heart obedience, obedience motivated by love and only made possible by the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. This is not "Let go and let God," but "Let God and let's go" (so to speak). We need to keep a mental list of our sins (relying on God's assistance to remind us - Ps 139:23, 24) and to confess quickly, at the same time asking God to grant us rapid repentance (cp Acts 5:31+, 2 Ti 2:25+). (See related discussion - Obedience of faith) See a discussion of how believers can and should daily strive to live in a manner pleasing to the Father - "Paradoxical Principle of 100% Dependent and 100% Responsible" THOUGHT - In 2 Peter 1:4+ we see that believers have been granted God's "precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." How do we partake of these precious promises. Do we just name them and claim them by faith? Not exactly. Remember genuine faith is linked with a heart motivated, Spirit enabled obedience. And it is Obedience leads to possessing the promises. The upshot is that there is always a reason to obey the Lord. And it should serve to motivate us to obey out of love, for Lord Lord Himself said "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." (Jn 14:15) And if we obey, we will experience the incalculable blessing of greater and greater intimacy with Jesus for He said "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him." (Jn 14:21) If you don't feel close and/or intimate with Jesus, perhaps you need to review your obedience over the past days, weeks, months, or years. Do not believe the devil's lie that your sin is too great and your disobedience too habitual for God to ever accept you back again. That is a lie from the pit of Hell! Jesus' story of the prodigal son gives us a picture of our Father in Heaven and perhaps you need to read those words of truth again to counter the lies of your adversary. Read Luke 15:11-32 and pay special attention to the words in Lk 15:17-19+, Lk 15:20-24+, cf 2 Ti 2:24-26+) Teaching (instructing) (03925)(lamad) conveys the idea of training as well as educating. While it is usually translated with the idea of to teach, it also is used with the sense of to learn (as in Dt 4:10+ below). Biblical teaching seeks to guide people to follow the will of God, not by offering mere human opinions or suggestions but by bringing “the authoritative declaration of the Word of God. The Lxx translates lamad with didasko (English ~ didactic) in the present tense indicating that the instruction by Moses had begun and was continuing. So foundational is lamad that one of its derivatives, talmiyḏ, which means "scholar" (1 Chr. 25:8), is the source of the word Talmud, the name for the commentaries written by the ancient rabbis on the Torah (Law). Further underscoring the pivotal place the teaching of the word of God has in the believer's life, lāmaḏ appears nine times in Ps 119:12, 26, 64, 66, 68, 108, 124, 135, 171). The first use of lamad in the OT is here in Deut 4:1 and it is a key word in chapter 4 - Deut. 4:1; Deut. 4:5; Deut. 4:10; Deut. 4:14. It is also a key word in the remainder of Deuteronomy - Deut. 5:1; Deut. 5:31; Deut. 6:1; Deut. 11:19; Deut. 14:23; Deut. 17:19; Deut. 18:9; Deut. 20:18; Deut. 31:12; Deut. 31:13; Deut. 31:19; Deut. 31:22; Teaching implies those taught will be learners (cf meaning of disciple, mathetes = learners) who in turn become doers of what they are taught (Jas 1:22+). In Jesus' great commission we see the same principle “Go therefore and make disciples (aorist imperative = matheteuo = make "learners") of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching (same Greek verb used here in Lxx = didasko in present tense = continually teaching) them to observe (to be doers not merely hearers) all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Mt 28:19-20+) Tragically the children of Israel as a nation failed to receive the Word implanted, rebelling again and again, until finally all 12 tribes were sent into exile. Jeremiah records the sad commentary from the LORD Himself... They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught (lamad) them, teaching (lamad) again and again, they would not listen (shama) and receive instruction (musar = idea of discipline, chastening, correction). (Jeremiah 32:33+) THOUGHT - Sadly Israel could recite the Shema, but they did not live out the truth of the Shema! Beloved, be careful of falling into the same deceptive trap of thinking that because you know the word, maybe even memorized the word, that you are "A-Okay!" You are NOT okay Unless you obey! Since the children of Israel were prone to forget (like we ALL are as the hymn says "Prone to wander!") the greatness and goodness of God, it is not surprising that the Book of Deuteronomy has more uses of the word "forget" that all the other books of the Pentateuch. God wanted His people to remember Him when they went into the promised land filled with temptations and idols of all shapes and sizes! Forget is found 9 times in Deuteronomy Deuteronomy 4:9 “Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons. Deuteronomy 4:23 “So watch yourselves, that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a graven image in the form of anything against which the LORD your God has commanded you. Deuteronomy 4:31 (God does not forget!) “For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them (speaking of the Abrahamic Covenant). Deuteronomy 6:12 then watch yourself, that you do not forget the LORD who brought you from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Deuteronomy 8:11 “Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments and His ordinances and His statutes which I am commanding you today; Deuteronomy 8:14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. Deuteronomy 8:19 “It shall come about if you ever forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish. Deuteronomy 9:7 “Remember, do not forget how you provoked the LORD your God to wrath in the wilderness; from the day that you left the land of Egypt until you arrived at this place, you have been rebellious against the LORD. Deuteronomy 25:19 “Therefore it shall come about when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your surrounding enemies, in the land which the LORD your God gives you as an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you must not forget. Deuteronomy 32:18 “You neglected the Rock who begot you, And forgot the God who gave you birth. Brian Bell - Moses gives a clarion cry, a passionate call to obey...based on 3 reasons: Because of their past; because of their future; because of the character of their God. Stated & implied examples of Israel’s former unbelief. 1. Sexual idolatry at Baal-Peor (3). Nu.25:1-4. 2. The golden calf incident at Mnt Sinai (Dt 4:15-17). Ex.32:1-35. 3. The Rebellion in the wilderness of Zin (where even Moses tripped up) (Dt 4:21). Nu.20:2-13 (Sermon) So that (purpose clause) you may live and go in and take possession of (inherit) the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you - Notice God's sovereign promise ("giving you") is based on His faithfulness to His unconditional covenant to Abraham (the God of your fathers - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob). The successful possession of God's promise was based on Israel's obedience (statutes and judgments"..."to perform" = to do, to obey). Divine privilege (promise) always demands personal practice (obedience). All through the Bible we see this juxtaposition of God's sovereign provision and Man's responsibility. It is never "Let go and let God," but is more accurately phrased "Let God and let's go." God of your fathers - cf Dt 1:11, 21; 4:1, 31, 37; 6:3; 12:1; 26:7; 27:3 Key Word in Deuteronomy 4 - Possess/Possessions - Deuteronomy 4:1 “Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I am teaching you to perform, so that you may live and go in and take possession of the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you. Deuteronomy 4:5 “See, I have taught you statutes and judgments just as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do thus in the land where you are entering to possess it. Deuteronomy 4:14 “The LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that you might perform them in the land where you are going over to possess it. Deuteronomy 4:20 “But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, from Egypt, to be a people for His own possession, as today. Deuteronomy 4:22 “For I will die in this land, I shall not cross the Jordan, but you shall cross and take possession of this good land. Deuteronomy 4:26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will surely perish quickly from the land where you are going over the Jordan to possess it. You shall not live long on it, but will be utterly destroyed. Deuteronomy 4:47 They took possession of his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who were across the Jordan to the east, This truth begs the question dear follower of Christ - Are you possessing your promised possessions in Christ "in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (Col 2:3+), "His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature (THE PROMISED LIFE), having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust." (2 Pe 1:4+)? Possession of their promised possession, the land of milk and honey, was directly linked to obedience (Dt 4:1,25-27,40; Dt 6:17-18; Dt 8:1; 11:8; Dt 30:15-20; Dt 32:46-47; Josh 10:40; 11:20,23; 23:9-13,15-16). Failure to obey would result in expulsion (Lev 26:27-35; Dt 28:58-68). THERE IS A REPEATED PATTERN FOR POSSESSION – that is applicable to all of our lives and we see a similar pattern in Dt 4:5 and Dt 4:13 HEAR GOD’S WORD – OBEY GOD’S WORD – (WHY?)- ENJOY SPIRITUAL PROSPERITY AND POSSESSION OF PROMISED SPIRITUAL POSSESSIONS. Christopher Wright describes God's part and Man's part this way - "Behind everything stands the unconditioned grace and faithfulness of God to the divine promise. The land would be given. But secure possession of it, long life, and enjoyment of it were dependent in each generation on the people’s response of committed loyalty and obedience." (Deuteronomy New International Biblical Commentary) So that - Always pause to ponder this important term of purpose. The purpose as noted above was so that Israel might fully experience the life in the land God had promised to them. If they did, they would serve as "lights in the land" drawing pagans to the one true God, Jehovah (see Dt 4:6–8). Sadly, they failed miserably to be "ambassadors" for Jehovah, primarily because they took their eyes off of Him and fixed them instead on the idols (so called gods) of the land, which ensnared them and led them into bitter bondage and death (unless they repented), which is always the end product of idolatry. The world's and devil's idols promise pleasure, which they do in fact sometimes give, but is always only a passing pleasure (Heb 11:25-note). These deceivers however fail to disclose the inevitable spiritual death that is not passing but eternal! Matthew Henry Concise - Verses 1-23. The power and love of God to Israel are here made the ground and reason of a number of cautions and serious warnings; and although there is much reference to their national covenant, yet all may be applied to those who live under the gospel. What are laws made for but to be observed and obeyed? Our obedience as individuals cannot merit salvation; but it is the only evidence that we are partakers of the gift of God, which is eternal life through Jesus Christ, Considering how many temptations we are compassed with, and what corrupt desires we have in our bosoms, we have great need to keep our hearts with all diligence. Those cannot walk aright, who walk carelessly. Moses charges particularly to take heed of the sin of idolatry. He shows how weak the temptation would be to those who thought aright; for these pretended gods, the sun, moon, and stars, were only blessings which the Lord their God had imparted to all nations. It is absurd to worship them; shall we serve those that were made to serve us? Take heed lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God. We must take heed lest at any time we forget our Christian religion. Care, caution, and watchfulness, are helps against a bad memory. Brian Bell - A man was discussing the fragility of many marriages with his girlfriend and posed the following question, “What if you wake up one morning and don’t love me anymore?” She immediately responded, “There’s always obedience.” We often think of obedience this way, in the negative. 2. But obedience to God is always in the positive because He is One we can fully trust. He is One whom always is purposeful in every thing in which He asks of us. Peter T. Forsythe (1848-1921 Scottish theologian) was right when he said, “The first duty of every soul is to find not its freedom but its Master”. We seem to always be trying to find our freedom of choice, freedom of will, freedom to do it our way. When we should be full throttle after our Master & His choices, His will, His way. C. Slide#4 Thomas a Kempis shares its seriousness, Instant obedience is the only kind of obedience there is; delayed obedience is disobedience. Whoever strives to withdraw from obedience, withdraws from Grace Wiersbe on the vital importance of knowing and believing and obeying (by the Spirit) God's Holy Word Not only was Israel’s life dependent on obedience to God’s Word, but so was their victory over the enemy (Deut. 4:1b). Apart from faith and obedience, Israel couldn’t enter the land and defeat the nations that were strongly entrenched there. How could the Lord go before His people and give them victory if they weren’t following Him obediently? (Dt 1:30) The ten spies who failed to grasp the power of God’s promises led Israel into discouragement, defeat, and death because of their unbelief (Nu 13–14). “And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith” (1 John 5:4, NKJV); and that faith is generated by the Word (Rom. 10:17). Believers today must find their life and victory in God’s Word. Unless we know what God commands, we can’t obey Him; but if we know His commandments, believe them, and obey them, then His power goes to work in our lives. “And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3-note). Obeying the Lord becomes a joyful privilege when you realize that His commandments are expressions of His love, assurances of His strength, invitations to His blessing, opportunities to grow and bring Him glory, and occasions to enjoy His love and fellowship as we seek to please Him. God’s Word is the open door into the treasury of His grace. (Be Equipped) JUMPING TO DEFY LAW Jan Davis, sixty, a professional parachutist, was BASE jumping when she fell to her death. Her husband, who was filming the jump, and several reporters were stunned when Davis crashed onto the rocks. She was jumping off the thirty-two hundred foot granite cliff, El Capitan, in Yosemite National Park, California, when her chute failed to open. She and the other jumpers knew that BASE jumping was illegal in Yosemite Park. The law was passed because six people and numerous other shad been injured in Yosemite due to BASE jumping. The five jumpers, including Davis, were protesting the park’s restrictions by proving the sport is safe. They knew the law, but they deliberately chose to defy it. Davis paid for that disobedience with her life. In a similar way, many people think they can deliberately violate God’s law. Eventually they learn, sometimes the hard way, that God’s laws exist to protect us. —Jonathan Mutchler, "Parachutist Perishes," Preaching Today.com (Larson - 1001 Illustrations) Neighbour - I. GOD'S STATUTES AND JUDGMENTS (Deut. 4:1, 2) "Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the Word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the Commandments of the Lord your God which I command you." 1. Nothing must be added to God's Statutes and Commandments. This we read in our key text. In after years the Children of Israel were very prone to do this very thing. They were continually making additions to what the Lord had said. We read something of this in Matthew 23. In our day we are just as much in danger of this sin, as were they. Let us not make void the Word of God by our traditions. When God says a thing, let us stand by it; never deviate from it. Beware lest we add to His statements. The church of today is divided, into many varied sects, more, perhaps, than for any other reason, because saints have been followers of men and of the doctrines of men instead of the plain, positive Word of God. 2. Nothing must be subtracted. We have no right to lessen the full scope of the Word of God, any more than we have a right to add to it. Against this addition and subtraction to and from the Bible, and particularly to and from the words of Prophetic Scripture, there is a tremendous warning at the close of the New Testament. We read, "If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this Book: and if any man shall take away from the Words of the Book of this Prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life." God means everything that He says, and we must not penknife anything which He has written. This was done by one of the Old Testament kings to his sorrow. We want no "shorter Bible." We want a whole Bible; not the Bible plus, nor the Bible less. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God," and no words of any man may by any means be added unto God's holy revelation James Smith - A SOLEMN CHARGE. Deuteronomy 4:1-9. "O Israel, thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you" (vv. 1, 2). This is a very clear evidence of inspiration. The statutes and judgments taught by Moses were the authoritative words of God. As Newberry points out, the I's of Moses here are emphatic in the Hebrew. He speaks in God's stead. This Paul declares in writing to the Hebrews (chap. 1:1). This solemn charge to keep the words of God comes loudly and urgently upon us to-day. Several reasons are given for this. I. Because they are Powerful. They— 1. Bring Life. "Do them, that ye may live" (Dt 4:1). Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. The words that I speak unto you they are spirit and they are life, begotten by the incorruptible Word of God. 2. Secure an Inheritance. "That ye may go in and possess. " It is by laying hold of His promise that the soul enters into the possession of the inheritance provided and offered. "Thy Word was found, and I did eat it, and it became the joy and rejoicing of my heart. " The hungry one must eat to be satisfied. II. Because they are Perfect (Dt 4:2). Nothing is to be— 1. Added. "Ye shall not add unto the Word. " The Law (Word) of the Lord is perfect. It is finished. We can no more add to the revelation of God than we can add to the finished work of Christ or the work of Creation, although man in his pride makes many attempts. We presume to add to the grace of God when we go about seeking to establish our own righteousness. "Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee, and thou be found a liar, for every word of God is pure" (Prov. 30:5, 6). 2. Diminished. "Neither shall ye diminish aught from it. " "If any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life" (Rev. 22:19). The Scriptures of truth cannot be broken, so that no repair is ever needed. To add or to diminish is only to mar the perfect Man of our counsel. III. Because they are Precious (Dt 4:4-9). Precious because they are— 1. Unfailing. "Ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day. " Joshua and Caleb did trust the Word of the Lord, and they were living witnesses to His unfailing faithfulness (Num. 26:65). The living Christ is the eternal Word. He will not fail thee; be not faithless. 2. Enlightening. "Keep them, for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations. " "The Word of the Lord makes wise the simple" (Ps. 19:7). Apart from it, Israel would sink down to the level of the heathen nations around them. If His Word does not abide in us we, too, will fall back into a savourless state, good for nothing, or like a fruitless branch. 3. Comforting. "What nation is there so great who hath God so nigh unto them?" etc. (Dt 4:7). Israel as a redeemed people were distinguished for the nearness to which God came to them. This nearness was only enjoyed when they walked in obedience to His Word (2 Sam. 7:23). "The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon Him in truth" (Psa. 145:18). All who have believed are made nigh through the blood of Christ. His nearness is the distinguishing mark of all who live in the power of the Spirit of truth. The more we are like Christ, the more near will He be. 4. Ennobling. "What nation is there so great that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law?" (Dt 4:8). What soul is there so great that hath the words of the living God dwelling richly within? His words are more to be desired than gold Moreover, in keeping of them there is great reward (Psa. 19:9-11). They do no iniquity that walk in His ways (Psa. 119:3). The incorruptible Word in the heart will beautify the whole character as the seed in the earth when it springs up beautifies the whole field with a comeliness not its own, yet not separate from it. 5. Enduring. "Take to thyself and teach them to thy sons, and thy sons' sons" (Dt 4:9). The words of God are enduring for us, and will be as effectual to our believing children and our children's children. Timothy knew the Scripture from his youth, and we need not wonder at it, when love for the Word of God dwelt in Eunice his mother and in Lois his grandmother (2 Tim. 1:5). The Word of the Lord endureth for ever. It has an enduring purity, suitability, influence, and faithfulness. "He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life" (John 5:24). Believest thou this? (Handfuls on Purpose) "A charge to keep I have, A God to glorify, A never failing Word to trust That lifts me to the sky. D A Carson's devotional on May 31 (Deuteronomy 4) THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK OF Deuteronomy has many detailed parallels with ancient covenants or treaties that regional powers made with their vassal states. One of the components of such treaties was a kind of historical prolegomenon—a brief and selective recapitulation of the historical circumstances that had brought both parties to this point. That is the kind of thing one finds in Deuteronomy 1–3. As the covenant people of God make their second approach to the Promised Land, forty years after the Exodus itself (Dt 1:3) and with an entire generation gone, Moses urgently impresses upon the assembly the nature of the covenant, the greatness of the rescue that was now their heritage, the sorry history of rebellion, and above all the sheer majesty and glory of the God with whom they are linked in this spectacularly generous covenantal relationship. The three chapters of selective history prepare the way for Deuteronomy 4. Here the historical survey is largely over; now the primary lessons from that history are driven home. Always review and remember what God has done. God does not owe you this amazing salvation. Far from it: “Because he loved your forefathers and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength” (Dt 4:37). But there are entailments. “You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other” (Dt 4:35). “Acknowledge and take to heart this day that the LORD is God in heaven above and on the earth below. There is no other” (Dt 4:39). “Be careful not to forget the covenant of the LORD your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the LORD your God has forbidden. For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (see Dt 4:24 note). In other words, they are to serve God; but he alone is God. Every generation of believers must reckon with this truth, or face God’s wrath. Of the many lessons that spring from this historical recital, one relatively minor point—painful to Moses and important for us—quietly emerges. Moses repeatedly reminds the people that he himself will not be permitted to enter the land. He is referring to the time he struck the rock instead of speaking to it (Nu 20:9-12). But now he points out, truthfully, that his sin and punishment took place, he says, “because of you” (Deut. 1:37; 3:23–27; 4:21–22). Of course, Moses was responsible for his own action. But he would not have been tempted had the people been godly. Their persistent unbelief and whining wore him down. Meditate on a New Testament articulation of this principle: Hebrews 13:17. (For the Love of God) Bob
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Constable - God's jealousy is His zeal for righteousness that springs from His holiness. He would not tolerate Israel's allegiance to any other god. The connotation of pettiness that is present in the English word "jealousy" is totally absent from the Hebrew idea. (Deuteronomy 4) Jealous an attribute of God Spurgeon's notes on Jealousy of God Jealousy is an emotion we often describe as seen between lovers. God was Israel's husband (Jer 31:32-note - God was in covenant with Israel, cp Covenant: As It Relates to Marriage. Cp Ho 2:19, Isa 54:5, Jer 2:2, 3:14) and because of His love for His people He zealously (jealously) acted to maintain their fidelity (faithfulness). Divine jealously is not the petty emotion so often seen in fallen men and women, but describes Jehovah's justifiable intolerance to any and every rival (especially idols, so-called gods). Jealousy is God's rightful demand for our exclusive affection or loyalty. In short, God's kind of jealousy is appropriate and good, for He is defending His word and His high honor. He makes a strong, exclusive demand on those who are His beloved. As such, we must treat only the Lord as God to the exclusion of all other people or things in all the universe! John Blanchard - God is jealous for the good of his redeemed people—but he can never be jealous of anything or anyone. John Blanchard - The jealousy of God is one of the Christian's greatest challenges—and comforts. Donald Grey Barnhouse - God, as a jealous God, is filled with a burning desire for our holiness, for our righteousness, for our goodness. John
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Constable - The nation’s present scattered condition as a result of her dispersion by the Romans is only one of several scatterings that Israel has experienced. (Deuteronomy 4) Left (remnant) (07604)(sha'ar/sa'ar) means to remain, be left over, to leave, to let remain. The first Biblical use of sha'ar is in the context of judgement, Moses recording that after the worldwide flood "only Noah was left" and was in essence a "remnant." (Ge 7:23; Lxx = kataleipo). The second use also describes God's judgment, this time on Sodom and Gomorrah stating that "those who survived fled to the hill country." (Ge 14:10; Lxx = kataleipo). Sha'ar describes Pharaoh's army = "not even one of them remained." (Ex 14:28; Lxx = kataleipo). Sha'ar in Deuteronomy - Deut. 2:34; Deut. 3:3; Deut. 3:11; Deut. 4:27; Deut. 7:20; Deut. 19:20; Deut. 28:51; Deut. 28:55; Deut. 28:62; Deuteronomy 28:62 “Then you shall be left (sha'ar/sa'ar) few in number, whereas you were as numerous as the stars of heaven, (WHY?) because you did not obey the LORD your God. John MacArthur sums up Deut 4:25-31 - In fact, this briefly outlined the future judgment of Israel, which culminated in the northern 10 tribes being exiled to Assyria (ca. 722 B.C.; 2 Ki 17:1-41) and the southern two tribes being deported to Babylon (ca. 605–586 B.C.; 2 Ki 24, 25). Although the Jews returned in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah (ca. 538–445 B.C.), they never regained their autonomy or dominance. Thus, the days of promised restoration and return look forward to Messiah’s return to set up the millennial kingdom. (MacArthur Study Bible) Warren
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Constable commenting on Hosea 3:5 associates last days in Dt 4:30 with a yet to be fulfilled prophecy writing "They (Israel) would approach the Lord with a healthy sense of fear because of His rich blessings. This would happen “in the last days,” namely, the days of Israel’s national restoration (i.e., the Millennium; cf. Deut. 4:30; Isa. 2:2; Mic. 4:1)." (Deuteronomy 4) Carl Armerding alludes to Dt 4:30 in his comments on the phrase "in the days to come" in Genesis 49:1 - "Keil says that this “in prophetic language denotes not the future generally but the last future, the Messianic age of consummation.” According to Delitzsch the expression refers to “the future which forms the close of the course of history. The notion is eschatological, but limited by the horizon of the speaker.” Gesenius refers to it as a “prophetic formula” which means “in the future time, in the last days.”8 It occurs also in Numbers 24:14, Deuteronomy 4:30 and 31:29, and about a dozen times in the Prophets. In each case the definitions given above would suit the context well. If, as Leupold remarks, “Jacob can see in one picture the occupation of Canaan and the Messiah’s kingdom but hardly anything that lies between,” we need not be surprised to find in the passage an intermingling of the near future with that which is more remote." (Bib Sac 112:448 - Oct 55) Adrian Rogers - There's going to be a time when these elect Jews are going to be delivered out of the Great Tribulation, but it's going to wait until the Great Tribulation. Now, if you're making notes, you also may wish to jot down Deuteronomy 4:29, 30, that tell you the same thing (Deuteronomy 4:29-30). But, I want to tell you, dear friend, that God gave to the Apostle John a vision of unspeakable horrors, and we call these horrors the opening of this seven-sealed book. Dwight Pentecost includes Dt 4:30 in his discussion of the end times tribulation writing "The tribulation is primarily Jewish. This fact is borne out by Old Testament Scriptures (Deut 4:30; Jer. 30:7; Ezek. 20:37; Dan. 12:1; Zech. 13:8-9), by the Olivet Discourse of Christ (Matt. 24:9-26), and by the book of Revelation itself (Rev. 7:4-8; 12:1-2; 17, etc.). It concerns “Daniel’s people,” the coming of “false Messiah,” the preaching of the “gospel of the kingdom,” flight on the “sabbath,” the temple and the “holy place,” the land of Judea, the city of Jerusalem, the twelve “tribes of the children of Israel,” the “son of Moses,” “signs” in the heavens, the “covenant” with the Beast, the “sanctuary,” the “sacrifice and the oblation” of the temple ritual—these all speak of Israel and prove that the tribulation is largely a time when God deals with His ancient people prior to their entrance into the promised kingdom. The many Old Testament prophecies yet to be fulfilled for Israel further indicate a future time when God will deal with this nation (Deut. 30:1-6; Jer. 30:8-10, etc.) (Things to Come) Henry Morris (Defender's Study Bible) on distress (KJV - "tribulation") - This prophecy, given by Moses as Israel prepared to enter the promised land, apparently looks into the distant future, 3500 years or more, to "the latter days" when Israel will be in the "great tribulation" (Revelation 7:14). At that "time of trouble … thy people shall be delivered," (Daniel 12:1), and "immediately after the tribulation of those days … He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other" (Matthew 24:29, 31). See related discussion The Last Days You will return - NLT = "you will finally return to the LORD." Has this happened to the Jews? Not yet. Certainly not to the majority of the Jews. This prophecy awaits a future fulfillment. One might propose that when you are in distress was an allusion to the Babylonian exile, but the historical facts regarding the Jewish return would not perfectly fulfill this prophecy. Why? While some Jews did return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple, the majority of Jews remained in Babylon. This latter group could hardly be characterized as returning to the LORD with all their heart. Certainly in our modern day most of the hearts in Israel have NOT returned to the LORD. There is a remnant of believing Jews which (Praise Jehovah) appears to be increasing in recent years, but it is still only a remnant and would not fulfill Moses' prophecy. One other detail to analyze is Moses' statement that "the LORD will scatter you among the peoples and you shall be left few in number among the nations, where the LORD shall drive you" (Dt 4:27) When was Israel scattered among the nations? In the first exile, the divided nation was taken to Assyria and to Babylon. But after the destruction of the Temple in 70AD, and then the Simon Bar Kochba revolt, the Jews were scattered throughout the nations of the world. And they are still in this scattered state. Clearly Moses' prophecy has not yet been fulfilled. See Wikipedia article on the Diaspora for more detail. John
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Constable - Moses predicted a turning back to the Lord (Dt 4:30). This has yet to take place during Israel’s present dispersion, but it will happen (Zech. 12:10). (Deuteronomy 4) Hindson, et al - To the Jews, history consisted of two ages. The first was this present age, the age in which Israel was waiting for the coming of the Messiah. The second was the age to come, the age in which God would fulfill all promises and covenants, and Israel would enter into her promised blessings as a result of Messiah’s coming. A time of judgment and devastation, leading up to the Messiah’s advent and Israel’s deliverance, was to terminate the present age and introduce the coming age. When we look at the Old Testament usage of end-times terms, we see that it does not refer to the church age. The Old Testament uses end-times language to refer to the Tribulation period—the time leading up to the coming of the Messiah to set up His kingdom on earth. A clear example of this is Deuteronomy 4:30, which says, “When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice.” The English word “distress” translates the Hebrew word for tribulation—in this context, the Tribulation—which means that this text equates the Tribulation with the “latter days.” Thus, the “latter days” are the Tribulation period, which we are not currently living in but may be on the brink of entering. (The church will be raptured before the world enters the Tribulation.) Deuteronomy 31:29 also uses “latter days” as a reference to the Tribulation when it says, “Evil will befall you in the latter days.” (The Harvest Handbook of Bible Prophecy) SUMMARY OF INTERPRETATION In the last days prior to (and including) the return of Israel's Messiah, Israel will undergo a time of distress that Jesus referred to as the Great Tribulation in Matthew 24:21+. He explained in Matthew 24:15+ (see excursus below) a clear sign that would signal to the Jews the beginning of this time of distress, a time which would last for 3.5 years (1260 days, 42 months or "time, times, and half a time"). Jeremiah 30:7+ referred to this time period as the "time of Jacob's trouble." Daniel 12:1+ said "there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your (Daniel's) people (in context clearly referring to Israel), everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued." Paul spoke of this "rescue operation" in Romans 11:26-27+ explaining that "all Israel will be saved (or "rescued" as in Daniel 12:1); just as it is written, “THE DELIVERER (Messiah) WILL COME FROM ZION, HE WILL REMOVE UNGODLINESS FROM JACOB. "AND THIS IS MY COVENANT WITH THEM, WHEN I TAKE AWAY THEIR SINS.” At that time Zechariah 12:10+ says "I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me (Messiah) Whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him, like the bitter weeping over a first-born." So the reason these Jews in the latter days will mourn is because they have been given the Spirit of grace. No man seeks for God and they would not be broken if they had not received God's great grace! Nor would you or I dear fellow believer! Zechariah 13:8-9+ goes on to explain that in the latter days "it will come about in all the land (Israel),” Declares the LORD, “That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; But the third will be left in it. 9 “And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them (referring to the Jewish remnant who will be saved) as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested (cp Deut 4:30 "a time of distress"). They will call on My name (Why? Because they have received a Spirit of grace and supplication), And I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ And they will say, ‘The LORD is my God (This is clearly covenant language, and describes the remnant of 1/3 of the Jews in the latter days who will enter into the New Covenant by grace through faith).’” G K Beale - Deuteronomy 4:30; 31:29 The next occurrences of the phrase “the latter days” are in Deuteronomy. After Israel commits idolatry, God will expel them from their land and scatter them throughout the nations, from where they will seek God (Dt 4:25–29). At this time, “When you are in distress and all these things have come upon you, in the latter days [bĕʾaḥărît hayyāmîm] you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice” (Dt 4:30). Here “the latter days” includes both the distress that is to come upon Israel and its returning to God as a result of that distress. The basis for Israel’s return to God lies in that he will not “forget the covenant with your fathers which he swore to them” (Dt 4:31). This covenant, of course, is the covenant made with the patriarchs, the core of which, as I have argued earlier, is a repetition of Gen. 1:28. Thus, this covenant involves a mandate to the patriarchs and Israel to do what Adam should have done and a promise that their seed will ultimately carry this out to bless the world and spread God’s glory throughout the earth. And, as I have also contended, the concluding fulfillment of this mandate in Gen. 1:28 is eschatological in nature, which is in mind in 4:30, as it refers to Israel “returning” in faith to fulfill this covenant. Commentators sometimes do not see Deut. 4:30 as “eschatological.” However, if I am correct in linking this verse with the pattern that begins in the early chapters of Genesis and is repeated, and if this pattern is eschatological, then Deut. 4:30 can be considered so. Other commentators consider Israel’s restoration to the land in repentance to be eschatological because conditions inextricably linked with that restoration are a radical break with prior conditions.46 Consequently, Deut. 4:30 understands that Israel’s judgment and exile for not fulfilling its part of the covenant and its return to begin to fulfill its covenantal obligations again are eschatological. This is why the repeated reference later in Deut. 31:29 is to be understood as part of an end-time process: “For I know that after my [Moses’s] death you will act corruptly and turn from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days [bĕʾaḥărît hayyāmîm], for you will do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD, provoking Him to anger with the work of your hands.” Although, more precisely, exile has been construed to be part of a de-creation pattern, it may be viewed also either as an eschatological-like judgment against violation of the Adamic mandate or a judgment anticipating the final judgment of exile from God’s presence and the consummated form of the cosmos. This is the idea in Deut. 31:29, though likely an intense time of tribulation toward the end of exile may be the focus, so that the “latter days” there presumably overlap with the conclusion of the exilic period, when the “return” of Deut. 4:30 begins (cf. Ps. 107:6, 13). However, since Israel’s restoration from Babylon after seventy years of exile did not eventuate in truly decisive and irreversible eschatological conditions of new creation, the end-time prophecy of Deut. 4 and Deut. 31 still awaited a future time when Israel would again do eschatological evil and then repent and turn to God. Accordingly, Israel’s sin, exile, and restoration would become a historical pattern pointing to the true eschaton, a perspective that, as we will see, is taken up by NT writers. (A New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New) Deuteronomy 4:31 "For the LORD your God is a compassionate God; He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them. LORD your God: Ex 34:6,7 Nu 14:18 2Ch 30:9 Ne 1:5 9:31 Ps 86:5,15 116:5 Ps 145:8,9 Jon 4:2 Mic 7:18 Not forget: Lev 26:42,45 Ps 105:8 111:5,9 Jer 14:21 Lu 1:72 Deuteronomy 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries IN THE MIDST OF WRATH GOD REMEMBERS MERCY For - term of explanation A compassionate God (cp the "moral definition" of God in Exodus 34:6) - Compassionate is the adjective rachum (see in depth study of the noun racham). The picture of this great Hebrew word is that of the tender compassion of a mother toward her helpless infant. Indeed, in her own strength, Israel was helpless, and during the purging and refining time of the Great Tribulation, she will come to humbly acknowledge her helplessness and cry out to Jehovah (Zech 12:10) The psalmist records this mercy filled description of the compassionate God... But He, being compassionate, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; And often He restrained His anger And did not arouse all His wrath. (Psalm 73:38) He will not fail you - The Hebrew verb here is rapah (07503) which means to become slack, to relax, to come weak, etc. The NET Note says that the Hebrew can be paraphrased "He will not drop you!" We occasionally may feel like we have lost our grip on God, but we can be sure that He never loses His grip on us! This reminds one of the precious picture in Deut 33:27 which says ""The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms." Spurgeon must have loved this passage as he preached 3 sermons on Deut 33:27. (The Everlasting Arms, Present Privilege and Future Favour, and Underneath). Quoting from this last sermon Underneath... GOD surrounds His children on all sides—they dwell in Him. The passage before us shows that the Lord is above, for we read, “There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rides upon the heaven to help you, and in His excellence on the sky.” Assuredly He is around them, for “The eternal God is your refuge.” And He is before them, for “He shall thrust out the enemy from before you; and shall say, Destroy them.” Here according to the text, the Lord is also under His saints, for “Underneath are the everlasting arms.” “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations,” and by You we are surrounded everywhere, as the earth is by the atmosphere— “Within Your circling power I stand. On every side I find Your hand. Awake, asleep, at home, abroad, I am surrounded still with God.” THE UNCONDITIONAL ABRAHAMIC COVENANT Nor forget the covenant (see study on forget - shakach/shakah below) - Israel may forget covenant but Yahweh will not. He is a covenant remembering and a covenant keeping God. In the midst of a discussion of judgment, Jehovah gives this sure hope... Yet in spite of this (Lev 26:41-43), when they are in the land of their enemies (cp Northern 10 tribes in Assyria, Southern 2 tribes in Babylon), I will not reject them, nor will I so abhor them as to destroy them, breaking My covenant with them (He is referring to the Abrahamic Covenant - see Lev 26:42); for (explains why He won't break it - Why? Because He is Jehovah whichi is His covenant Name signifying that He is a covenant keeping God!) I am the LORD their God. (Lev 26:44) That Jehovah will not forget Israel is even more incredible in light of the description of Israel in Judges 3:7 (God had warned them this would happen - see Dt 8:14): And the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baals and the Asheroth. Comment: I believe we would call this GRACE - God giving they what they clearly don't deserves just as He did with every person who enters the New Covenant by grace through faith. The covenant with your fathers which He swore to them - This is not the conditional Mosaic Covenant, the covenant of law which Israel promised to keep, but instead repeatedly broke. Instead this covenant refers to the unconditional covenant (berith/beriyth) which Yahweh cut (karath) with Abraham and then reaffirmed both to Isaac and then to Jacob ("with your fathers."). The New Covenant is in a very real sense an extension of the Abrahamic Covenant (See New Covenant in the Old Testament), which Abraham entered by faith in Genesis 15:6 and thus was reckoned as righteous, just as we were when we believed the Gospel and entered into the New Covenant (See Why the New is Better). With your fathers - The covenant first cut by Jehovah with Abraham was reaffirmed with Isaac and Jacob - Read Ge. 15:18–21; 17:7–8; 26:3–5; 28:13–15; 35:12. God's faithfulness to keep His covenant should encourage those believers who struggle with the security of their salvation. If one is genuinely saved by faith, he or she cannot lose their salvation, not because they can "hold on" to it but because the faithful, covenant keeping God is holding on to them! Eugene Merrill rightly reminds us that "Israel as the seed of Abraham constituted an indispensable element of the promise and for that reason could never fail to exist before God. For him to forget Israel would constitute a violation of the oath he swore to the fathers (Gen 15:12–21; 17:1–8). This, of course, is theologically inconceivable. But the conditional side of the Sinai covenant also must be stressed, for Israel’s success in fulfilling its mandate as a kingdom of priests and holy nation is dependent on its covenant fidelity. The biblical resolution of the tension created by the unconditionality versus conditionality of the respective covenants lies always (as here) in the grace of God, who guarantees the wherewithal by which his people can meet the terms requisite to achieving his high and holy calling for them. (Ibid) Jack Deere writes that Jehovah "will not abandon His morally helpless children because He has the tender compassion of a mother and because He made an inviolable covenant with Abraham (Ed: See Covenant: Abrahamic vs Old vs New). (Bible Knowledge Commentary)
Deuteronômio 4
Constable - Yahweh is a holy judge who zealously yearns for the welfare of His chosen people (Dt 4:24), but if they turn from Him and He disciplines them He will have compassion on them (cf. Dt 6:5; 10:12; 11:13; 26:16; 30:2, 6, 10). The promise that God would not fail or destroy His people or forget His covenant with them indicates the extent of His love for Israel (Ro. 11:1). Nelson Study Bible - The future of God’s people depends on God’s love. The emphasis on God’s mercy in this verse is a necessary balance to the emphasis that Moses placed on God’s refining wrath (Dt 4:24). not forsake … nor forget: The Lord was free to scatter His people. But after His discipline, He would regather them and show them His favor. God was and is faithful to His promises. The covenant of your fathers is God’s solemn commitment to fulfill the promises He made to the patriarchs (Gen. 17:6–8; 22:16, 17; Ex. 3:15–17). ESV Study Bible has an excellent note - In Deuteronomy, mercy is grounded in the Lord’s faithfulness to the Abrahamic promises (Dt 9:27; 30:5, 20). God will maintain his covenant with Abraham, even if Israel forgets it (Dt 4:23; see Rom. 3:3–4). God also swore those promises under oath (Gen. 22:16; Heb. 6:13, 17–18). Cf. note on Deut. 1:8 [The promise of land was made first to Abraham (Gen. 12:7; 15:18–21), reiterated to Isaac (Gen. 26:4), and then to Jacob (Gen. 28:13; 35:12; cf. Deut. 6:10; 9:5; 29:13; 30:20; 34:4). The promises to the three patriarchs included land for their offspring after them.] James Smith - BACKSLIDING: ITS CAUSE AND CURE. Deuteronomy 4:23-31. "My Lord, I covet not the breath Of grand renown, But rather that which lies beneath A blood-bought crown. Fain would I hold, if but small cup, To thirsty lips, Fain would I shine but to light up Some soul's eclipse. " Whatever occupies the chief place in our hearts and lives takes the place of God and becomes our god. We are constantly in danger, as Israel was, of allowing visible things to usurp the place of the Eternal One, whom we see not. When the Lord spake out of the midst of the fire in Horeb no manner of similitude was seen (Dt 4:15). One of the reasons given is, "For the Lord thy God is a jealous God" (see Dt 4:24 note). Jealous of our faith, and the adoration of our hearts. Backsliding is always manifested by preferring some earthly thing to the Lord. I. The Cause. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. They are here warned beforehand of how they may retrograde from a God-pleasing life. Circumstances may change, but in principle the causes are still the same. 1. Forgetfulness. "Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God" (Dt 4:23). Forgetting God's Word and forsaking the secret place of prayer. It is so easy to forget our own spiritual need amidst the rush of everyday life. Take heed to yourselves. To forget His promise is to lean on a paralysed arm of flesh. 2. False Worship. "Take heed lest ye make you a likeness of anything which the Lord thy God hath forbidden" (Dt 4:23). Forbidden images are sure to appear in the minds and thoughts of those who forget God, and the horror of it lies in this, that they are self-made; the deliberate work of a Christ-doubting soul. 3. Self-Corruption. "Ye shall corrupt yourselves" (Dt 4:25). When we turn away from the light we turn into darkness. When we cease to live by faith on the Son of God we begin to corrupt like a member severed from the body. II. The Effect. Backsliding in heart will soon show itself in the life. There will be— 1. Dispossession. "Ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land" (Dt 4:26). Their days in the land and their enjoyment of it would not be prolonged if they turned from following the Lord. It is altogether impossible for any soul to enjoy the inheritance in Christ and to prolong their fellowship with Him who has departed from the Lord in their heart. As a matter of experience they shall soon be utterly cut off. 2. Division. "The Lord shall scatter you, " etc. (Dt 4:27). They were to be scattered among the nations and left few in number. Individual backsliding is always accompanied with division and separation. When they are not of us they will go out from us. When the Lord is dethroned from His true place in the midst of His people schism takes place in the Body of Christ—His Church. 3. Weakness. "Ye shall be few among the heathen" (Dt 4:27). Few in the midst of the heathen means terrible weakness and helplessness. Robbed of their aggressive power and distinguishing glory as the people of God, instead of a conquering army they become the slaves of their own lust and pride. What a picture of a backsliding Church, crying out about its fewness in number in the midst of an overwhelming and ever growing heathenism. This melancholy situation is doubtless the result of unfaithfulness to God. III. The Cure. Thank God, that although we may have turned away from Him He has still left the door of restoration open. 1. Confess. "For the Lord thy God is a merciful God, He will not forget the covenant which He sware" (Dt 4:31). This declaration of His mercifulness and faithfulness in not forgetting His covenant is a powerful plea for those who have forgotten His covenant to confess their sins that they might be forgiven. If we confess, He is faithful and just to forgive and to cleanse. 2. Seek. "If from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find Him" (Dt 4:29). But note that it is Himself that must be sought. It is Himself that we need. After our Lord rose from the dead He showed them Himself. What else could satisfy their troubled souls and meet all their need. Seek Him, and seek Him from thence, from just where you are, in all your false worship, divisions, and helpless weakness, and bondage. O backsliding Church, thou hast destroyed thyself, but in Me is thy help. Return, O wanderer. 3. Obey. "Thou shalt turn unto the Lord thy God, and be obedient unto His voice" (Dt 4:30). This is our security, to hold fast the Word of God. Giving heed to other voices can only lead into shame and hopeless failure. The mighty power of Jesus Christ lay in His obedience to the Father's voice and will, and shall it be otherwise with His disciples? To obey is better than sacrifice. This is My beloved Son. Hear ye Him. Handfuls on Purpose Deuteronomy 4:32 "Indeed, ask now concerning the former days which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and inquire from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything been done like this great thing, or has anything been heard like it? ask now: Job 8:8 Ps 44:1 Joe 1:2 from the one: De 30:4 Mt 24:31 Mk 13:27 Deuteronomy 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries NLT Now search all of history, from the time God created people on the earth until now, and search from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything as great as this ever been seen or heard before? NET Indeed, ask about the distant past, starting from the day God created humankind on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether there has ever been such a great thing as this, or even a rumor of it. NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER BEEN HEARD! While the previous passages (Dt 4:25-31) were focused on the future and prophecy, now Moses shifts to the past and to history. The previous section highlighted Israel's unfaithfulness to turn from the true and living God to worship and serve false, dead idols. The truths in this section (Dt 4:32-43) about the greatness of their God and their privileged position, served to make their prophesied unfaithfulness all that much more inexcusable. Driver summaries Dt 4:32-40 - Israel has grounds for knowing that Jehovah is God alone, who will not permanently abandon His people (v. 32–36), and who has a claim upon Israel for its obedience (v. 37–40). Eugene Merrill introduces this next section (Dt 4:32-40) - Having dealt with the matter of the nature of Israel's God (Dt 4:15–24) and what that means for Israel in terms of covenant relationship and responsibility Dt 4:25–31), Moses focused on the uniqueness of the LORD, a theme suggested already in Dt 4:28, where the contrast is made between Him and the gods of wood and stone. The passage at hand is without comparison as a discourse on the doctrine of God. Here in brief scope the character, attributes, and actions of God are clearly and logically spelled out as are the implications of all this for Israel, his people. (New American Commentary – Volume 4: Deuteronomy) NET Note on people - The Hebrew term אָדָם (’adam) may refer either to Adam or, more likely, to “man” in the sense of the human race (“mankind,” “humankind”). The idea here seems more universal in scope than reference to Adam alone would suggest. Henry Morris on the day that God created man - "The former days" to which Moses referred, "since the day that God created man upon the earth," had been some 2500 years (assuming no gaps in the received chronological genealogies of Genesis 5 and Genesis 11). That was a long time, of course, but was at least a reasonable point of reference to which the people could relate--nothing like the eternal evolutionary ages postulated by the Egyptians, Canaanites and other ancient pagan nations. ISRAEL'S INCREDIBLE PRIVILEGES Has anything been done like this great thing, or has anything been heard like it? - A rhetorical question the answer to which is clearly "No!" This should have begun to remind Israel how privileged she was. It should have served to stir emotions of gratitude and love toward their great and awesome God. Merrill - The argument here was picked up centuries later by Isaiah, who also referred to the “former days” (yāmîm ri’šōnîm) or “former things” (ri’sōnîm alone) as providing examples from history of God's unique saving work (Isa 43:9, 18; 48:3) on the basis of which he would do even greater things in days to come (Isa 46:9). The best argument for who God is and what he can do is the historical argument, for that is empirically testable and verifiable. It also is a test, Moses said, of the alleged gods of the nations whose exploits and even very existence were shown to be devoid of historical evidence. (Ibid) Brian Bell - So Moses ends his 1st sermon by calling Israel to obey simply because of who God is. He gives a series of rhetorical questions. God is totally & absolutely unique (32-34). No other god speaks audibly, w/o man-made form (33, 36) No other god redeemed a miserable people from slavery & forged them into a great and feared nation (34) No other god cares enough for people to discipline & love them (36-37) No other god in fact, even exists (35, 39) (1) For these reasons alone, Israel ought to respond with obedience. Deuteronomy 4:33 "Has any people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard it, and survived? Dt 4:24-26 Dt 9:10 Ex 19:18-19 Ex 20:18-19 Ex 24:11 Ex 33:20 Jdg 6:22 Deuteronomy 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Deuteronomy 9:10+ “The LORD gave me the two tablets of stone written by the finger of God; and on them were all the words which the LORD had spoken with you at the mountain from the midst of the fire on the day of the assembly. Exodus 19:18-19+ Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently. 19 When the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him with thunder. Exodus 20:18-19+ All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. 19 Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.” MORE INCREDIBLE PRIVILEGES Has any people heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard it, and survived? - NLT Has any nation ever heard the voice of God speaking from fire-- as you did-- and survived? This question is rhetorical. The fact that Israel heard God speaking and was not consumed is a reflection of His grace toward her. They thought they would die but they did not (Ex 20:19). Not only did God condescend to speak with Israel, He also gave them a written copy in the form of a covenant, the most solemn, binding agreement that could be made. And how did Israel respond? "All the people answered together and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do!” And Moses brought back the words of the people to the LORD." (Ex 19:8) Deuteronomy 4:34 "Or has a god tried to go to take for himself a nation from within another nation by trials, by signs and wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm and by great terrors, as the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? take: Ex 1:9 3:10,17-20 trials: De 7:19 29:3 Ex 9:20,21 10:7 by signs: Ex 7:3 Ps 78:12,48-53 by a mighty: De 5:15 6:21 7:8,9 Ex 6:6 13:3 1Pe 5:6 and by great: De 26:8 34:12 Ex 12:30-33 Deuteronomy 4 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries NLT Has any other god dared to take a nation for himself out of another nation by means of trials, miraculous signs, wonders, war, a strong hand, a powerful arm, and terrifying acts? Yet that is what the LORD your God did for you in Egypt, right before your eyes. NETS Septuagint - whether a god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of a nation, by trial and by signs and by wonders and by war and by a strong hand and a high arm and by great exhibits, like all which the Lord your God did in Egypt before you, as you were looking on Or has a god tried to go to take for himself a nation from within another nation by trials, by signs and wonders and by war and by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm and by great terrors, as the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? - A rhetorical question which was meant to stir up Israel's remembrance of the great and marvelous deeds of Jehovah in their behalf. This "review" is calculated to demonstrate to Israel Yahweh's uniqueness (from Latin ūnicus unparalleled, from ūnus one - thus the quality of being One of a kind) Israel's God was ONE OF A KIND! Mighty hand - Exod. 32:11; Deut. 4:34; Deut. 5:15; Deut. 6:21; Deut. 7:8; Deut. 7:19; Deut. 9:26; Deut. 11:2; Deut. 26:8; 1 Ki. 8:42; 2 Chr. 6:32; Ezek. 20:33; Ezek. 20:34; Dan. 9:15; 1 Pet. 5:6 Outstretched arm - Exod. 6:6; Deut. 4:34; Deut. 5:15; Deut. 7:19; Deut. 9:29; Deut. 11:2; Deut. 26:8; 1 Ki. 8:42; 2 Ki. 17:36; 2 Chr. 6:32; Ps. 136:12; Jer. 27:5; Jer. 32:17; Jer. 32:21; Ezek. 20:33; Ezek. 20:34 NET Note adds that "God’s intervention in Israel’s experience is unique in the sense that He has never intervened in such power for any other people on earth. The focus is on the uniqueness of Israel’s experience." (And I would add the UNIQUENESS of their GOD!) Before your eyes - Not just a select few but to everyone in the nation of Israel. This would leave all without excuse. Sadly Israel failed to fully understand the significance of God's great deliverance Deuteronomy 29:1-3 These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the sons of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He had made with them at Horeb. 2 And Moses summoned all Israel and said to them, “You have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh and all his servants and all his land; 3 the great trials (same word as Dt 4:34) which your eyes have seen, those great signs and wonders. 4 “Yet to this day the LORD has not given you a heart to know, nor eyes to see, nor ears to hear.